Y2K - Emergency standby

To:- All canadian Hams on the AMSAT-BB
>From :- Robin Haighton VE3FRH
Please read the following message from Ken Pulfer VE3PU@rac.ca :
External Affairs is asking for help from amateurs as a last
backup in case communications and all other backup systems go
down ....
This involves health and welfare primarily, for communications
with consulates and embassies..
The US, UK, and other nations are working on similar plans
Ken Pulfer writes:
"Good afternoon All,
I have been in touch with Lilly Campbell Ferreira at Foreign
Affairs again, and have started to put together some ideas for
responding to their Y2K proposal.
In particular, I have spoken to Ron Belleville VE3AUM of russel
Ontario.
Ron has often been a key player in passing messages to foreign
countries in times of local natural disasters. He was also active
in providing phone patch with Alert.
Ron has shown a keen interest in helping to set up a group to
pass messages to third world countries if the need arises after
january 1 2000.
He has agreed to talk it up amongst his friends, and has
suggested some places I might look for help.
I would like to ask all Directors (of RAC) to raise the topic
with your assistant directors and/or with other local hams who
are interested in long range disaster communications.
To work properly, we need two things, the ability to communicate
with amateurs in identified foreign countries, and the ability to
communicate with a central point (probably in Ottawa) to pass the
messages to and from Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Affairs will provide a list of countries in order of
Priority and will do everything possible to deal with any third
party traffic issues which might arise.
Please send me (Ken Pulfer <VE3PU@rac.ca>) the names, call signs
and particularly E-mail addresses, if possible of anyone who
would find this an interesting challenge.
We will certainly make use of our field organization if Feasible,
but the focus here is outside the country, and top down as
opposed to the local grassroots orientation of the field
organization which will probably already be committed to helping
with municipal problems in the unlikely event of Y2K
infrastructure failures in Canada
Thanks very much, in advance for your help.
73 Ken
VE3PU "
Additional note from Robin Haighton:-
I feel that there is a opportunity here for satellite operators,
As soon as I have the list of countries from Ken, I will post it
on the AMSAT-BB and we can start to make our connections in those
places so that we are ready in case of an Emergency. I think that
both the Digital and Analogue sats could be used, the main
requirement would be to have a standby generator set for keeping
the station operational, particularly in the 3rd world countries.
If you are interested please contact Ken (as I have already done)
73 de Robin Haighton VE3FRH
Executive Vice President AMSAT-NA
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